The collection storage and disposal of liquid and solid waste is a problem of ever increasing importance. The collection and storage of old paint cans is particularly troublesome. The cans themselves have considerable volume compared to the volume of the material of the can itself. Also, the cans often contain residue paint, oil or other liquid for which appropriate disposal is required. An important consideration in the disposal of cans containing paint or other liquid is how to rapidly empty the cans of their liquid content and collect it in one container while crushing the cans and placing them in a separate container. It is also desirable to empty the cans and crush them at a high rate of speed so that large numbers of them can be crushed within a given time period to make such efforts economically feasible.
The following examples of prior art in this field are suitable for their intended purpose, but none adequately address the above-mentioned problem of emptying the cans of their liquid residue and crushing them substantially simultaneously so that the residue liquid and the cans are placed in separate containers for subsequent disposal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,518 to Cash et al. discloses a hand operated can crusher having a pair of pivotal arms, each with sharp point which are pivoted by movement of the piston so as to puncture the container prior to crushing. A hydraulically operated piston is disclosed in FIG. 4.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,002 to Gerlach discloses a can crusher having a piston which is pivotally pinned to a hydraulically cylinder and has a hopper for supplying multiple cans simultaneously into the compression chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,701 to Stralow discloses a hand operated can crusher having a magazine or hopper for supplying the cans serially into the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,600 to Yamamoto et al. and U.S. Pat. No 4,817,521 to Katada et al. each disclose a can crushing device when the cans are compressed both axially and laterally by means of a grooved piston.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,160 to Gurtler discloses a can crushing and emptying device wherein one end of the can is cut-out to drain the contents, the can is flushed and then crushed by means of a ram.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,265 to Meier discloses a can crusher having a ratchet means for advancing the ram.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,212 to DeWoolfson et al. discloses a can crusher for aluminum cans which also dispenses money to those depositing cans in the apparatus.